Rio Olympics: Andrew Bogut doesn’t expect Ben Simmons to play for Boomers

ANDREW Bogut expects Ben Simmons to follow in his footsteps and become the NBA’s top draft pick, but he does not think he will join him on a plane to Rio.

Aussie big men Andrew Bogut (L) and Ben Simmons.

ANDREW Bogut expects Ben Simmons to follow in his footsteps and become the NBA’s top draft pick next month, but he does not think the youngster will join him on a plane to the Rio Olympics.

Australian Olympic coach Andrej Lemanis has left open the possibility of Simmons being a late addition to the Boomers’ squad.

“I don’t see it,” Bogut, a Boomers veteran and starting centre on the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, told reporters on Saturday.

“If it happens great, we obviously want Benny to be a part of our team because he is the best college player in the world, the best up-and-coming player in the world and he’s going to be the number one pick.”

Simmons announced he will skip the Olympics to concentrate on preparing for his first NBA season.

Bogut, and most NBA analysts, expect the Philadelphia 76ers to select the 19-year-old from Melbourne with the No. 1 pick at the June 23 draft in New York.

The 76ers are led by Brett Brown, who coached the Australian team at the last Olympics.

It is a coincidence that raised speculation the 76ers would allow Simmons to play for the Boomers in Rio.

“We would love to have him as part of the team, but he has obviously stated he is not playing so we are not going to send him cake and balloons if he doesn’t want to play,” Bogut, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NBA Draft, said.

Bogut’s Warriors are currently going head-to-head with the Cleveland Cavaliers, featuring Boomer teammate, Matthew Dellavedova, in the NBA Finals.